D. Ediger et al., Pigment signatures reveal temporal and regional differences in taxonomic phytoplankton composition off the west coast of Ireland, J PLANK RES, 23(8), 2001, pp. 893-902
The composition of phytoplankton assemblages in April, 1998 in Galway Bay a
nd during a summer phytoplankton bloom occurring southwest of Ireland in Au
gust, 1998, was characterized by pigments measured by high-performance liqu
id chromatography. Pigment data reflecting phytoplankton assemblages domina
ted by diatoms in Galway Bay and dinoflagellates in the southwest of Irelan
d were compared to phytoplankton cell counts. Significant relationships wer
e found between the fucoxanthin concentrations and the diatom cell numbers
(P < 0. 0002 r(2) 0.63) during April, and between fucoxanthin (P < 0.0001 r
(2) 0.79), 19'hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin (P < 0.0001 r(2) 0.77) concentrations
and Gyrodinium aureolum cell numbers during the summer bloom.